With the average person spending more time than ever at home this year, it’s the perfect time to cultivate positive energy within your space. The ancient Chinese practice of feng shui utilises energy forces to align individuals with their environment. Feng shui aims to invite positive chi (energy) into your space, allowing you to achieve balance and harmony, while removing any unseen obstacles to happiness. Feng shui emphasises the interconnectedness of everyone and everything, with simple acts like moving your bed or letting in more light serving to spark joy and create a happier living environment.
You’ll also enjoy:
Adult-ify Your Home With These Easy Design Upgrades
Let Your Interiors Do The Talking With Maximalist Design
Turn Your Coffee Table Into A Beautiful Centrepiece With These Styling Tips
Here’s how you can adopt feng shui principles in your home.
1. Emphasise your entryway
In feng shui, the entryway to your home is representative of how energy enters your home and your life as a whole. A blocked doorway could mean blocking potential positive opportunities, so ensure you declutter your entryway of any mess and unnecessary objects. Keep your space clean, well lit, and place a welcome mat you like at the doorway.
2. Let there be light
Regardless of how much natural light your space gets, make the most of what you have by opening blinds or curtains and letting light in during the day. In feng shui, natural light aids in allowing positive energy to flow through your home. Plus, it can have a beneficial effect on your mood and energy levels, while working to make your space look larger than it actually is.
3. Switchin’ the positions
A key principle in feng shui is the commanding position. Basically, how you position some of the essential pieces of furniture relates to how you position yourself in life. This applies to the bed (represents you), your desk (represents your career), and stove (represents your wealth). While your stove may not be the most mobile object, you should be able to move your bed and desk into a commanding position. Essentially, when using these items (i.e. sitting at your desk, lying in bed, cooking on the stove), you should be able to see the door but not be in line with it.
4. Reflect positivity
Utilise mirrors strategically to reflect the beautiful elements of your home. Try in front of windows to create the illusion of more light and a bigger space, and opposite art pieces or decor you like.
5. Keep it clean
A cluttered space can block new positive energy from flowing in, making it essential to keep your work and living spaces clean. Avoid accumulating unnecessary objects, throw out or donate items that you no longer use or need, and use non-toxic cleaners to wipe down your windows and workspaces.
6. Remove negative objects
Still carrying around tokens from past relationships or unused items? Aim to remove pieces with negative history and only keep items that spark joy. Apply this concept to your decor, furniture, and clothing.
7. Colourful considerations
The use of colour in feng shui is inextricably linked to the five elements of earth, metal, water, wood, and fire. Each element is found in nature and has its own unique energy; feng shui taps into this to bring harmony and balance to a space. If there’s a certain elemental energy you require more of, you can incorporate more of that colour into your home decor.
The earth element is grounding, calm, and stable, represented by earthy tones of beige, sand, brown, and yellow. Try wooden furniture, yellow-toned lighting, and terracotta vases. The metal element provides mental clarity, symbolised by grays, whites, off-whites, and metallic shades. Incorporate the metal element with metallic jewellery, candlesticks and sculptures, or gray bed linen. Represented by blues and blacks, the water element invites flow and wisdom into your space. Channel it through a dark office chair, blue stationary, or blue-hued artwork. Symbolic of vitality, wellbeing, and growth, wood energy can be channelled through brown and green colours. Try teal glassware, chocolate throw pillows, or matcha coloured bedding. Fire relates to passion, illumination, and warmth, and is represented by reds, pinks, oranges and yellows. Try fresh red roses, orange throw rugs, or pink glassware.
Words by T. Angel
Feature image courtesy of Lesley Unruh, cover image courtesy of Skyhorse Publishing
